Wringer mechanism



March 5, 1935. N. I.. ETTEN 1,993

WRINGER MECHANISM Filed Ma`y 25, 1935 2 sheets-sheet 1 I@ III yINYEICC'IDE.. E'f ZW 171* AIIY'E March 5, 1935o N. L. ETTEN 1,993,091

WRINGER MECHANISM Filed May 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LEVEN-rma-Patented Mar. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE Claims.

This invention relates -to switching devices for power driven rollwringers and has for one of its objects the provision of switching meansso connected with the releasing mechanism of the 5 wringer thatoperation of the releasing mechanism will result in breaking of thedriving motor circuit.

Another object lies in the provision of switching means for controllingthe operation of the driving motor either by means of operation of thereleasing mechanism or by manual operation of the switch.

A further object is to provide a switch by means of which the drivingmotor is controlled to bring about or discontinue operation of thewringer, operation of the wringer being thereby controlled throughautomatic means when the wringer rolls are released or manually at thewill of an operator.

Other objects will appear in the following de-` scription andaccompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of awringer mechanism with certain portions broken away to permit clearerView, also dotted outline of certain parts in operated position, all tobe described;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of'an end portion ofthe wringer frame showing retaining means to be described;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end elevational view showing parts of the switchand associated mechanism to be described;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the end portion of thewringer frame, together with the switching mechanism, with certain partsremoved to permit clearer view of underlying parts;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the switching mechanismsimilar to the view of the same shown in Fig. 4, but with parts inoperate position; Y

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectionalview taken on lines 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. '1 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the switchmechanism to be described.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 discloses a wringer mechanismcomprising a frame composed of a lower transverse member 10 to eitherend of which are secured upright members 11 and l2 upon the upper endsof which is mounteda removable upper transverse member 13.

Transverse member 13 is of hollow shell-like construction, the lowerside being open, the ends of the open side being so dimensioned as toslip over the upper ends of upright members 11 and 12 as shown, and isremovably retained thereon at the left hand end (Fig. 1) by means of alip 14 formed in member 11 in such a manner as to engage the lower edge15 of an opening formed in the end wall of member 13, as best 5 shown inFig. 2.

The opposite, or right hand, end of member 13 is normally retained uponmember 12 by means of a hook member 16, pivoted at 17 upon switchsupporting brackets 28, to be described later.

Hook 16 is adapted to extend over about the 'upper corner of member 13and to be retained in locking position by means of a manually operablehook member 18, the latter being pivotally supported upon member 13 at19 and terminating in a handle portion 20. This mechanism will bereferred to again shortly.

Wringer rolls 20 and 21 are rotatably supported in the frame justdescribed, by the following means: Lower roll 20 is supported by meansof a suitable shaft 22 journaled in bearing blocks 23 which are rockablysupported within the hollow upright members 11 and 12 upon transversepins or screws 24.

The upper roll 21 is supported by means of a shaft 21' journaled inbearing blocks 25, which are slidably supported withinv` hollow uprights11 and 12.

Bearing blocks 25, being vertically movable in upright members 11 and 12are capable of supporting the upper roll 21 in adjustable relation toroll 20.

A flat spring member 26, adjustably supported Within member 13 by meansof a manual adjust- 35 ment screw 27, has either of its ends restingupon blocks 25, whereby resilient pressure is brought to bear upon theblocks to urge roll 21 into pressure contact with roll 20.

Obviously pressure by spring 26 is available only when transverse member13 is properly retained upon uprights 11 and 12, by means of the lip andedges 14 and 15 at one end and hook 16, retained by hook 18, at theopposite end.

It is thought clear that, with the parts assembled as described, rolls20 and 21 are maintained in constant resilient, pressure contact bymeans of spring 26. It will also be apparent that manipulation of handle20 downwardly will result in release of retaining hook 16 whereby hook16 can no longer act as a retaining means for member 13.

With the parts so released, upward movement of member 13, induced byspring 26 abutting bearing blocks 25, will take place. The disturbanceof parts caused by the release of hook 16 and con- 55l to unhook theedge 15 from engagement with lip 14. Thus, the overall effect of manualdownward movement of handle 20 is to release both ends of member 13 fromits normal working position to relax spring 26 to remove the contactpressure between rolls 20 and 21. The described action and mechanismwill be referred to later.

Referring to Figs. 3 to 6, it will be noted that an electric switchmechanism is supported upon upright member 12 by means of bracketmembers 28 secured to the side thereof.

'Ihe switching mechanism generally comprises a handle lever member 29pivoted upon the supporting frame by means of a pin 30. A downwardlyextending portion 31 of this lever carries a pin 32 which is looselyengaged in a slot 33 (see Fig. 7) formed in the body of a iioatingcontact member 34.

As best shown in Fig. 7, member 34 has, in addition to slot 33 justmentioned, a slot 35 disposed at right angles with slot 33, downwardlyextending, half circular bearing portion 36, and a shoulder portion 37.

Member 34 carries mechanism which includes a roller member 38 having agroove 39 about its center, the groove adapted to rotatably receive thebearing portion 36 of member 34, a coil spring 40 and washer 41, thespring and washer being So formed as to loosely surround the upstandingportion of member 34, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Pin 32,- secured in lever 29, is adapted to slide in slot 33 as alreadynoted, and is so dimensioned as to extend beyond the slot to abut thewasher 41,

the washer being urged thereagainst by spring 40, abutted by shoulder37.

Member 34 is supported in oating toggle relation to lever 29 by means ofits disposition within a recessed portion of a block of insulatingmaterial 42 which block is suitably supported between bracket members 28by shouldered rivets 43, as best shown in Fig. 3.

The bottom portion of the recess of block 42 is of arcuate form and hasa central upstanding rib portion 44 disposed longitudinally thereof,which rib is adapted tobe received in the groove 39 of roller 38.

As clearly shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the floating member 34 isassembled within the recess of block 42 in operative relation with lever29 with pin 32 slidably engaged in slot 33, the lever portion 31disposed in slot 35, spring 40 urging washer 41 against pin 32 androller 38 straddling the rib 44.

Considering the view shown in Fig. 4, it will be apparent that movementof lever 29 toward the right will result in movement of pin 32 in slot33 to compress spring 40. Continued movement of lever 29 will eventuallyplace pin 32 in a position upon or beyond a dead center line as betweenroller 38 and pivotA 30, with corresponding change of the angle of slot33 relative to the associated parts in such a manner that when the deadcenter line is passed, the pressure of spring 40 tends to urge furthermovement of lever 29 and also to react upon roller 38 to causeit to rolltoward the opposite side of the recess as indicated in Fig. 5.. 'Ihusalternate movement of lever 29 results in corresponding movement ofroller 38.

Upon oppositesides of block 42, in insulated re'- lation, are securedcontact members 45, the same being so disposed and formed as to becontacted by roller 38, which is by the way, so dimensioned as to extendbeyond either side of insulating block 1,993,091 sequent-sudden movementof member 13 will act 42 so as to contact with blocks 45, as indicatedin Fig. A6.

Contact members 45 are separately connected with conductors 46 leadingto a driving motor to be later referred to.

The foregoing description will indicate that when handle 29 is disposedtoward the left, as shown in Fig. 4, roller 38 is disposed againstblocks 45 whereby electrical connection is established betweenconductors 46 to complete the circuit thereof, while with handle 29disposed toward the right, as shown in Fig. 5, roller 38 is disposed outof contact with conducting members. Thus alternate manual movement ofhandle' 29 toward the left or right results in corresponding movement ofthe switch mechanism to close or open the circuit of conductors 46.

It is assumed that the wringer mechanism herein described is operaed bymeans of an -electric motor, which being not a part of the presentinvention, will not be referred to further than to Say that the drivingmotor is included in the circuit represented by the conductors 46 andthat operation of the switch as described controls operation of themotor.

The foregoing has described manual operation of the switch. However, theswitch is adapted to be automatically operated, independently of directmanipulation, by the following means:

Figs. 1, 4 and 5 will disclose dual link members 46 loosely supportedwithin transverse member 13 by means of a bolt 47 passing through slots46 in members 46 and depending therefrom within and adjacent either sideof upright member 12, as best shown in Fig. 3.

As indicated in Fig. 1, the lower ends of members 46 are providedwith-slots 49 through which the bearing block supporting pin 24 passes.The function of slots 49 as engaged by pin 24, is to linut the verticalmovement of members 46 and thereby upward movement of member 13.

A dual armed lever 50, having an offset connecting portion 51 ispivotally supported upon the pin 30, which pin, as already noted, alsosupports the switch hand lever 29. Ihe arms of lever 50 extend withinthe enclosure of upright member 12 and are provided at their extremitieswith shouldered rivets 52 which rivets are loosely engaged in slots 53formed in link members 46.

With this assembly automatic operation of the switch is accomplished asfollows:

Mention has already been made of the upward movement of member 13, dueto release v51 to engage the shank of lever 29, as clearly indicated indotted outline in Fig. 1, to operate the switch from closed to -openposition. The relative position of the parts are clearly shown in Figs.4 and 5, as well as Fig. 1.

It is thought clear that, by the means described, release of the wringermechanism by manipulation of lever. 20 will result in substantiallyimmediate opening of the motor switch to arrest operation of the wringermechanism, and that the switch cannot be manually operated toite-establish operation of the wringer until member 13 has been properlyreplaced in locked position. Obviously, with member 13 properly placed,lever 50 is so disposed that connecting portion 51 is suitably withdrawnfrom a supporting frame therefor, releasable removable spring and framemeans for maintaining contact pressure between the rolls comprising aportion of said frame, means for releasing the pressure means whereby aportion of said frame is removed from the main portion thereof, meansfor limiting the movement of said removable portion, means connectingwith said limiting means and switch whereby movement of the limitingmeans imparts switching. move'- ment to the switch.

2. In a wringer mechanism, the combination of wringer rolls, asupporting frame therefor,

spring means for tensioning the rolls supported' in operable relationthereto by a movable portion of said frame, the movable portion adaptedto be held in position upon the frame to maintain the tensioning meansin tensioning rela.- tion or to be removed therefrom by means of thetensioning means, means for limiting the movement of the movable frameportion, an electric switch, means connecting said limiting means andswitch to operate the switch when the movable portion is moved out oftension sustaining position. Y

3. A wringer mechanism tion wringer rolls, a supporting frame thereforand an electric switch for controlling driving means for the rolls, thesaid frame having a removable portion carrying roll tensioning meansadapted to be positioned upon the frame in such having in combinavamanner as to support the tensioning means in operable relation to therolls or to be removed therefrom, means for limiting said movement,means associated with the limiting means and switch to operate theswitch into open position when they movable frame portionv is removedfrom tension sustaining position, and to maintain the switch againstmanual operation while the movable portion remains so removed, theswitch being manually operable into either closed or open position whenthe movable frame portion is placed in tension sustaining position.

4. In a wringer mechanism, the combination of wringer rolls, asupporting frame therefor, an electric switch for controlling thedriving means thereof, and means for operating the switch including amovable portion of said frame, spring means for moving the movableportion, mechanism for limiting said movement and mechanism co-operativebetween said limiting mechanism and switch to operate the switch whenthe limiting mechanism is moved.

5. In a wringer mechanism the combination of wringer rolls, supportingframe therefor, an electric switch for controlling the driving means ofthe rolls, and means for operating the switch to stop said driving meansincluding an upwardly movable portion of said frame, spring means formoving the same in an upward direction. mechanism for limiting saidupward movement and mechanism co-operative between the limitingmechanism and switch for operating the switch to oil position uponupward movement of the limiting mechanism and for retaining the switchin such position during elevated situation of the limiting mechanism.

NIcHoLAs L. ETTEN.

